(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger (evaporator) used in an indoor air conditioner unit, and more particularly to a heat exchanger along which condensed water (due to dew-forming phenomenon) can flow without being sucked off by a fan.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
An indoor unit for a conventional air conditioner, as shown in FIG. 1, has a main body 10 housing, a heat exchanger 20 for heat-exchanging room air, and a cross fan 30. This fan 30, which is rotated in one direction, is placed at a rear, lower side of the heat exchanger 20, serving circulate room air to the heat exchanger 20. Further, the indoor unit includes a condensed water container 40 for collecting condensed water (i.e., dew) which is created due to the temperature difference between the refrigerant temperature in the heat exchanger 20 and the room temperature and flows downward along the surface of the heat exchanger and into the container which is placed beneath the heat exchanger 20.
The heat exchanger 20 has a plurality of flat fins 21 arranged in a parallel relation to each other at predetermined intervals and a plurality of heat exchanging tubes 22 passing through the fins 21 perpendicular thereto.
Each fin 21 has a plurality of slits 23 protruding from both sides of the flat fin 21, through which the flowing air currents become turbulent. The air is then heat exchanged with the fluid flowing in the heat exchanging tubes 22. The slits function to reduce a dead air region formed behind each tube in a direction of the air flow and to increase in the heat transferring area, whereby the heat transfer efficiency of the above heat exchanger is improved.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger has a lower flat section H1 located adjacent to the cross fan 30. When the downwardly flowing condensed water reaches the lower side H1, some of the water, denoted as P in FIG. 2, is sucked into the cross fan 30 due to a rotational force thereof, and then may be dropped on the bottom surface of the main body 10. Such a leaked water may be undesirably discharged into a room.